Author: thaobh.leo@gmail.com

A flurry of video and still images have been released recently of a China strato-carrier concept. Credit: CCTV/ChineseArmyYouTube Breathless reports point to a conceptual Chinese flying aircraft carrier, operating in the Earth’s stratosphere Propelling such a platform into flight would require propulsion technology far beyond what currently exists Alternative space-based strike systems are within the technological capability of China, offering advantages over any strato-carrier concept The pace of China’s military development in recent years has made it into a leading defence power, as Beijing seeks to bridge the West’s qualitative gap. However, the release of details regarding a stratospheric ‘space’…

ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. — The Army has budgeted for the first division in fiscal 2027 to receive the production full stack Next Generation Command and Control ecosystem, according to officials. “From a prototyping into production FY27 you’ll see, the Army’s working through right now identifying the next division beyond 25th and 4th and that would be a production representative full stack of capability,” Brig. Gen. Shane Taylor, the capability program executive for Command, Control, Communications, and Network, said in an interview at the Army’s Technical Exchange Meeting Jan. 30. This new division, which has yet to be revealed, joins…

Ministry of Defence of Ukraine 2 February, 2026, 4:43 PM EET In January, the Defence Forces of Ukraine inflicted some of the most significant losses on the russian army in recent months. In manpower losses alone, the enemy lost over 31,700 personnel—equivalent to the strength of nearly three divisions. According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Defence Forces of Ukraine destroyed or incapacitated 137 enemy tanks in January, equivalent to more than four tank battalions, marking the highest monthly figure since May 2025, when 138 tanks were put out of action. The enemy also incurred…

If he hangs up the gloves today, many would consider Jon Jones the best fighter to have ever competed in mixed martial arts, but his retirement may not be too far away.Love him or hate him, ‘Bones’ arguably has the greatest resume the sport has ever seen. The level of competition that has fallen victim to the Hall of Famer is unlike anything seen before under the UFC banner, with rumors recently surfacing that suggest he still wants to add more prestige to his resume.Whether or not fans get to see him perform again may depend on his health. Injuries…

The Trainer Games, presented by iFIT, has taken seasoned athletes and promising newcomers in the field of endurance sports, and pitted them against each other in the run up to the fever pitch final on February 5, where a $250,000 cash prize and an opportunity to join the iFIT coaching team awaits the winner. In this spoiler-free interview, M&F caught up with contestant and Olympic heptathlete, Chari Hawkins, to find out what she found most difficult, and why no matter the discipline, it’s perfectly ok to come last, just so long as you try your best. Who Is Chari Hawkins?…

ST Engineering unveiled this hybrid electric drive variant of the Terrex s5 8×8 armoured vehicle. (Gordon Arthur)Singaporean defence company ST Engineering unveiled a number of new items at Singapore Airshow 2026, including assault rifles, an armoured vehicle, a loitering munition, counter-drone system and manned-unmanned teaming management.The largest exhibit was a Terrex s5, with ST Engineering showing a hybrid electric drive version that differed from the diesel-engined example unveiled at Singapore Airshow 2024. It is still unclear which propulsion mode the Singapore Army will choose for its Titan 8×8 infantry fighting vehicle, which is based on the Terrex s5.The vehicle was…

A U.S. F-35 shot down an Iranian drone on Tuesday: a Shahed-139 that was flying toward the carrier Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea, military officials told Reuters. The Shahed-139 is a medium-altitude long-endurance UAV that looks a lot like a MQ-1B Predator; The Aviationist reports that it can be equipped for surveillance missions, or armed to strike.A U.S.-flagged oil tanker also outran Iranian gunboats Tuesday in the Strait of Hormuz, the Wall Street Journal reported.Context: “The downing of the drone comes at a moment of heightened tension in the region, as the U.S. military builds up forces for a…

DUBAI — Nuclear talks between Iran and the United States will take place Friday in Oman, the Iranian foreign minister said, as tensions between the countries remain high following Tehran’s bloody crackdown on nationwide protests last month.The announcement by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Wednesday came after hours of indications that the anticipated talks were faltering over changes in the format and content of the talks.”I’m grateful to our Omani brothers for making all necessary arrangements,” Araghchi wrote on X on Wednesday evening.Earlier Wednesday, a regional official said Iran was seeking a “different” type of meeting than that what…

Raytheon entered into five landmark framework agreements with the U.S. Department of War to significantly increase production capacity and speed deliveries of Land Attack and Maritime Strike variants of Tomahawk, AMRAAM missiles, Standard Missile-3 Block IB interceptors (SM-3 IB), Standard Missile-3 Block IIA interceptors (SM-3 IIA), and Standard Missile-6 (SM-6). Raytheon press release As global demand for these precision munitions continues to grow, these up-to-seven-year agreements establish frameworks to build on the company’s previous investments to expand production. Under the frameworks announced today, RTX will increase annual production of Tomahawks to more than 1,000, AMRAAMs to at least 1,900, and…

Immigration and Customs Enforcement is reviewing any reasonable accommodation that its employees have that permit telework or remote work to ensure they are in compliance with guidance that was sent to the agency’s workforce on Jan. 26 characterizing work from home as an “option of last resort.”In doing so, ICE becomes the latest agency to more strictly scrutinize telework and remote work reasonable accommodations since President Donald Trump largely eliminated work from home flexibility for federal personnel at the start of his second term. Officials are required to provide reasonable accommodations to enable employees with disabilities to better perform in…